The powerful Mississippi River is always an amazing sight to behold. This incredible feat of engineering makes it even more fascinating.

Locate on the Upper Mississippi River, Lock and Dam No. 15 is between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois.
US Army Corps of Engineers, Carol Arney/Wikimedia
Google Maps
At 1,203 feet long, it’s the largest roller dam in the world.
It has nine 109-foot-long submersible roller gates and two 109-foot-long non-submersible overflow roller gates.
Neal Wellons/Flickr
Dustin Oliver/Flickr
One of its unique features is that it doesn’t run perpendicular to the river flow.
It’s also one of the few roller dams that has a completed auxiliary lock.
Roberta/Flickr

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Neal Wellons/Flickr
Each roller gate has its own pier house with a motor and gears that lift or lower the gate to control the water flow downriver.
Lock and Dam No. 15 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It covers 3,590 acres.
US Library of Congress/Wikimedia
If you visit, you’ll see bright yellow floating cubes along the railings. These are a safety feature that prevents a person from being crushed by a tow or barge if they accidentally fall into the lock area.
Google Maps
During the coldest winter months, the water near the locks & dams remains unfrozen. This makes it prime fishing territory for bald eagles.
smcgee/Flickr
Lock and Dam No. 15 is one of the best viewing sites in winter. The physical address is 101 W. 2nd St., Davenport.
December through March is the best time to visit Lock and Dam 15 if you are interested in seeing bald eagles.
Lorne Sykora/Flickr
For visitors who are committed to seeing bald eagle activity, a guided tour is a great option

Bob Motz offers Eagle Safaris with spotting scopes that magnify the eagles up to 45 times. His contact information is on the Visit Quad Cities website.

Have you been to Lock and Dam No. 15? Any advice for getting the best views?

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